Ahead of the partnerships 2023 conference, its latest research shows the average UK adult will spend £200 or more before they take flight on holiday.
As The Advantage Travel Partnership takes to Benidorm this weekend for its annual conference, its latest round of research has revealed that the average UK holidaymaker spends £200 or more on various goods and services, from clothes to airport parking, before the holiday begins.
With tens of millions taking to the skies for overseas holidays in 2023, this represents billions of pounds this year: a critical contribution to the nation's economy.
A new infographic, the Holiday Purchase Timeline, helps illustrate the various costs along the way.
ABTA's 2022 International Travel: Powering the UK Economy report echoed the critical reflection of travel's contribution to the economy, indicating that consumers spend £49 billion each year in UK businesses on pre-holiday travel purchases.
The outbound travel sector as a whole facilitates £80 billion in revenue annually.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, the chief executive of The Advantage Travel Partnership, welcomed the research, elaborating: "Most people, including the government, assume that the outbound travel sector (namely travel agents and tour operators) generates more revenue for other countries than it does the UK. Our research amongst UK adults about their average spend and the figures illustrated in our infographic, show that the opposite is true."
With the research painting a clear enough picture, Bue-Said has high hopes for the opportunity represented by travel staking its economical claim as critical.
“There is now the opportunity for the UK government to work closely with the outbound travel industry, building on our strong economic record to ensure continued growth and development. As part of this, we continue to call for the inclusion of outbound travel in the remit of an individual minister in the Department for Transport. This will deliver strong channels of communication on which a collaborative working relationship can thrive, leading to good policy decisions that secure the future of our industry."
